Grain-drier.



PATBNTED MAY 1, 1906. GRIESSER. GRAIN DRIER. APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 21, 1905.

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No1. 819,424. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

W. GRIESSER.

GRAIN DRIER. I

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 819,424. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

W. GRIESSER. GRAIN DRIER APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1905- 5 SHEETS SHEET 3 (r "i 9 00 j) 0 wit 7/ A a) X o O o j o Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q flwzzfw 1 9222 7 jfileZw rziaer M4400 iii. I fiw I m ANDREW. l5. awn c0, nnnnnnnnnn Ami MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

No. 819,424. I

W. GRIBSSER. GRAIN DRIER.

APPLIGATION HLED SEPT. 21. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

WILHELM GRIESSER, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO OLGA KOEHN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GRAIN-DRIER.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906'.

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Like characters refer to like parts through- Be it known that I, WILHELM GRIEssER, a out all the figures of the drawings.

citizen of the United Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of 5 Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what I shall for convenience term rain-drier, as it is of particular utility for e ectively drying grains of various kinds. It may be utilized, however, with equal advantage for drying other substances.

apparatus involving my invention will thoroughly, uniformly, and rapidly dry sub stances various kinds without injuring them. For example, in the case of grain the latter can be dried without burning or destroying any of the nutritive properties of the cereal.

The apparatus involves in its construction at least one trou h and at least one combined heating and feeding drum. I prefer, however, to employ several drums and several troughs, the grain being initially received in the troughs and afterward passing from them under the action of the drums. The troughs and drums will preferablybe of sections, so that they can be lengthened or shortened. I do not restrict 1nyself, how ever, to these-particular features, as will be gathered from what has been originally stated.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification I illustrate a form of embodiment of to enable those skilled in the art to practice said invention I will set forth in detail in the following description, while what I claim as new will be includedin the claims succeeding said description.

In the drawings, Figure-1 is aside elevation of a drier including my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section. Fi 3 is a cross-sectional elevation, and Fig. 4 ongi tudinal sectional elevation, of said drier. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a trough. hereinafter described. Fi 6 is a top plan view of two troughs, oneof w ich is represented in the precedin figure. Fig. 7 isa sectional detail" of. a feed-conveyer and certain cooperative parts. Fig. 8 isan inside States, residing at face view of one: of the plates 30 and the tubes 40, carried: thereby.

.practical difference between members is that the end member 2: is of su'eh character as to provide fortheintroductiion of .the moist grain into the apparatus and, the

the invention, which two troughs, as 8,

the drawings includes. two: end members,

(designated by 2. tinctive characters, although ey are of. sub stantially similar construction. The only the two end removal of dry grain therefrom, as will here inafter more particularly appear. Eaclzr end .member consists of several superimposed castings vertically disposed, and the-under one of which is bolted or otherwise firmly fastened to a. foundation, which may be and preferably is of concrete or some equivalent material in order to in stable condition.

Where I provide several combined feeding:

maintain the apparatus and heating drums andI show such construction in the drawings,

I prefer to; employ an intermediate frame member 4, like the othersof skeleton construction and i vexpen'sively made by casting. This intermediate frame member 4 serves as a central support for the troughs anddrums mentioned.

The framework is cased or; housed-in, the casing or housing being denoted in a general way y 5 and being principally made from wood and in practice insulated or otherwise arranged to retain within it the-heating medium, which in the present instance is steam. The casing or housing will have. doors, as 5", in its side to provide access: to the interior thereof, and a roof: or top, as 6', which is shown as arched. I dornot' deem it necessary to. go into a detailed. description. of

the casing, its doors, and roof, for; the structure of these is not material. top of the casing, which also hasoneor more doors, as 6", has in addition theretoran: open: ing, shown as substantially centrally of the roof and around whichis anupwardly-extending flue, as-.7,.to carry off to the atmosphere"- vapgrs from the grain within the casing being Within the casing or housing 5-1" illustrate arranged in parallelism, slightly laterally separated, and exten 'ing from one end to the other ot the casing. The

The roof orand 3.) I ive them dii's- I tIi . being integral with ends of these two troughs are fastened in some suitableway, as by bolts, to the end members 2 of the framework. Each consists of a lurality of complemental sections, as 9, W ich may be bolted together to make a continuous structure, and plates, as 10, sup orted by such sections 9. The latter are 0 substantially cradle form, and being of similar constructionit is apparent that it will be but a simple matter toincrease the length of the troughs and necessarily the length of the apparatus. The sections 9, which may be readily made from casting, are of substantially U form in cross-section or of cradle form, as stated, and receive the plates 10, which are approximately U shape in cross-section and which really constitute the effective portions of the troughs, for it is into these plates that the material to be c Said U-sha ed plates will be attached 1n some suitab e way to the craCle-form castings or sections 9for example, by riveting, the rivets being of such character that there will be no protrusions on the operative surfaces of the plates .or those upon which the substance to be Cried is supported. Such operative faces are concentric with the axes o motion of stirring (evices hereinafter de scribed, the bla es of which traverse or substantially traverse sai concentric surfaces to prevent the sticking of grain or other material thereto.

Where an intermediate frame member 4 is present, it serves to uphold the two troughs centrally thereof, the intermediate sections 9 of the troughs having bases or feet bolted to said intermediate frame member, whereby strength is assured. Between the .plates 10 [and sections 9 is a space 11.for drip-water, from which one or more Crip-pipes,-as 12, can

lead to a point outsif e the casing, where such oseil. of as desire dri -water may be dis team-pipes, as 13, ead into the casing toward the troughs for heating the. material while in said troughs, while exhaust-steam pipes, as 14, lead out of the casing for carrying off the exhaust.

Between the head enCs of the troughs is a deflector, as 15, shown as being of wed ge form or substantially inverted-V shape. This deflector consists of two substantially similar sections bolted or otherwise fastened together below the apex of the deflector and shown as the head-sections 9 of the two parallel troughs; The material supplied within the casing is (I elivered first onto this deflector, which deflects the stream of material in equal volumes or divides it, one portion falling into one trough and the other into the other trough.

Bolted or otherwise fastened to the end member'2 is a casing 16 of a conveyer 17, shown as being of the screw type, said casing having its delivery end registering with an opening in the casing 5. The conveyer-casried is directly received.

to permit the water 'nal axes of the shafts, when the latter are rotated accomplished effective way,

ing has its inlet hopper-shaped. In this hopper-shaped portion of the casing 16 the material to be dried is initially delivered and is advanced forward by the conveyer along its casing 16 and into the receiving-opening in the casing 5, where it can fall onto the beveled head. of the deflector 15,to be divided into equal portions thereby, as previously stated. The bottom of the conveyer-casing 16 consists of a foraminous plate 18, constituting a strainer and through the perforations or holes in which the water drained off from the material in sail casing can pass, such water falling into the rip-pan 19 below the conveyer-casing and fastenedsay by bolts-to the frame member 2. The drip-pan 19 may have a (ischarge-pipe for carrying ofl the drip-water therefrom, which latter may be disposed of in any suitable way. The flights of the feed-conveyer a greater distance at the receiving portion than at the delivery portion of said conveyer to pass from the material as soon as it enters the casing without the actual necessity of pressin the grain, as in such case the nutriment of the latter would be affected.

In connection with each trough 8 I provide a stirrer consisting in the present case of an elongated shaft 20 (shown as hollow) and blaies, as 21, exteni'ing from the said shaft. The two shafts are coextensive with their respective troughs, and the journal portions t ereof are rotatively sustained by suitable boxes on the end members 2 and 3 of the framing, said shafts being supported by intermediate bearings when the troughs are very long. Means of a positive character will be provided to rotate the shafts, and I will hereinafter describe the means illus, trated for such purpose. The blades or shovels 21, which extend from the shafts 20, are set angularly or diagonally to the longitudiby reason of which the blades will act to forcibly advance the stock lengthwise along the heated trough, agitating or stirring the mass while feeding it. The loosening up of the mass and its subjection to heat initially dry it, the final drying being subsequently by different means and in an so that when the grain or other article leaves the apparatus it will be completely dry.

At their delivery ends the troughs 8 have side outlets for the passage of grain, the latter falling onto combined feeding and heating means consisting in the present case of two drums, each denoted in a general way by 22 and arranged end to end. These drums 22 work in troughs, as 23, extending the complete length of the casing 5 interiorly thereof, said troughs consisting of substantially U- shaped plates, bolts, at their opposite ends to U-shaped I'lbS 17 are separated as 24 and 25, fastened, as by or flanges upon the end members 2 and 3 of the framework. The plate 24 is inclosed by the plate 25, the sides of the former, however, extending above the upper edges of the outer plate 25 and being fastened, as by screws, to the casing 5. The plates 24 and 25 are separated to provide a steam space or chamber, the top of such space or chamber being closed by Z-beams, as26, to the ascending and descending flanges of which the two plates are fastened in some steam-tight manner. The ends of the Z-beams 26 are connected with the frame members 2 and 3. For strength the two plates 24 and 25 are connected by tiebolts. Leading into the space between said plates is a supply-pipe, as '27, for live steam,

the exhaust being carried off from such space i by a pipe, as 28, tapped through the bottom of the outer plate, the supply-pipe 27 being tapped through the saidouter plate near its upper edge. Several of these supply and exhaust pipes 27 and 28 may be provided, this being governed by the length of the apparatus, which can be regulated to suit individuals.

I will describe in detail the construction of one of the drums, and such description will be applicable to the other, as they are of duplicate construction The drum includes two heads, each designated by 30, of concavoconvex form, with the convex side of each outward. To these heads are fastened in some steam-tight manner, as by properlypacked bolts, sheets 31, in perforations of which are expanded the opposite ends of tubes 32. If-the drum is made long, I will provide one or more intermediate sheets, as 33, through perforations in which the steamtubes 32 will extend. It-will be understood that the opposite ends of the tubes 32 open into steam-spaces located at the opposite ends of the two drums and formed by the end sheets 31 and the heads 30. The tubes 32 are arranged in concentric series and around a central tube, as 34, of larger diameter, ex tending from one head to the other. The adjacent heads of the two drums are shown as connectedby a hollow neck, as 35, rotatively supported by a bearing forming part of the intermediate frame guide member. Through this neck and extending oppositely therefrom is a pipe, as 36, for conveying the steam from one drum to the other. It will be understood that the hollow neck 35 in addition to forming a connection between the two drums serves also as an intermediate journal therefor.

Extending outward from-the outer heads of the two drums are hollow journals or shafts, each denoted by 37, supported by bearings upon the frame members 2 and 3 and into which steam from pipes, as 38, may be introduced, such steam passing from the hollow journals or shafts through tubes, as 39, fitted closely in central perforations in the outer heads 30, said tubes serving as means to convey the live steam into the steam spaces or chambers at the opposite ends of the drum, from which such steam can pass through the tubes 32 and 34 to heat the said tubes, and thereby the grain, to dry it, passing through the spaces between the tubes. It is evident from what has just been stated that the drums are of skeleton formation for the passage of the grain therethrough. The steam-pipes 38 enter the journals or shafts 37 by way of stuffing-boxes, which need not be described in detail, and in connection with said steam-pipes I will in practice provide traps for disposing of the water of condensation, and as they are of the ordinary form I need not show or describe them. It will be understood that the steam-pipes 38 supply live steam to the interior of the feeding and heating drum, which I have specifically described and which is composed in part of the heads'30, plates 31, and connecting-tubes 32 between said plates.

Extending outward fromthe central openings of all four of the heads 30 are tubes 40, bent at their outer ends to. present lateral portions, which are open. The tubes 40 constitute scoops, and as their outer ends are open the condensed water .rolling down the inner concaved surfaces of the heads can enter said openings, so that subsequently such water can run toward the center of the heads by way of the scoop-pipes and into the tubes 36 and 39. The tube 36 delivers the condensed water into the tubes 34. From the outer heads 30 the condensed water is conveyed to the tubes 39 by the scoops or gathering-tubes 40. From the tubes 39 the condensed water flows into the hollow journals 37 and is conveyed therefrom by the pipes 38*.

The two drums exteriorly thereof are provided with blades, as 41, fastened thereto in any desirable way and approximately of similar length therewith. These blades are set angularly with respect to the longitudinal axes of the respective drums and serve to positively move the material along the troughs 28 and toward and subsequently through a deliver -opening in the casing 5. When the material leaves such opening, it will be in a thoroughly-dried condition, and it can be disposed of as desired.

The blades raise the material up into the trough and feed it therealong. They traverse or are substantially in contact with the inner surface of the trough, so as to prevent the material sticking thereto. As the material falls through the skeleton drum it is heated by the hot tubes and dried, the drying operation being completed when the material passes out the delivery end of the apparatus.

N on-rotatably connected with the hollow journal 37 at the head end of the machine is a worm-gear 42, meshing with the worm 43 on ICC a sleeve suitably fastened to a shaft, as 44, rotatably mounted upon the frame member 2, said shaft being driven in any desirable way-for example, by a pulley or band wheel. Upon the rotation of the worm-shaft 44 the two drums hereinbefore described will be rotated through the intervention of the interposed caring.

To t e head ends of the two shafts 20 are shown as fastened bevelgears, as 45, meshing with bevel-pinions, as 46, upon the shaft 47, the latter being operated in any suitable way-for example,by a pulley or band wheel. The shaft 47 is shown as geared, as at 48, to the shaft of the screw conveyer 17, whereby the latter may be driven by gearing, (denoted in a general way by 48.)

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A drying apparatus involving a casing, two troughs in the casing, arranged side by side, a deflector between the head ends of the trou hs, means for delivering material onto the eflector, the latter serving to divide the material into two portions and to direct such portions into the respective troughs, stirring devices in the troughs adapted also to feed the material therealong, said troughs having outlets, a trough into which the material falls from said outlets, and means for heating the material while in the last-mentioned trough and for feeding it therealong.

2. A drying apparatus involving a casing provided with a roof having upwardly-extending flues, two troughs in the casing, arranged side by side, a deflector between the head ends of the troughs, means for delivering material onto the deflector, the latter serving to divide the material into two portions and to direct such portions into the respective trou hs, stirring devices in the troughs adapted a so to feed the material therealong, a trough into which the material falls from the first-mentioned trou h, and means for heating the material wh le in the last-mentioned trough and for feeding it therealong.

3. A drying apparatus involving a casing, two troughs in the casing arranged side by side and each consisting of similar separablyconnected sections, means for delivering material to the troughs, means in the troughs adapted to feed the material therealong, a trou h below and adapted to receive the materia from the other troughs, and means for heating the material while in the last-mentioned trough andfor along.

4. A drying apparatus involving a casing, two troughs in the casin arranged sideby side, a deflector between tlie head ends of the troughs, means for delivering material onto feeding the same therethe deflector, the latter serving to divide the material into two portions and to direct such portions into the respective troughs, stirring devices in the troughs adapted also to feed the material therealong, said troughs havin outlets, and a drum to receive the materia from the troughs, said drum being provided with steam-spaces at its opposite ends, tubes connecting the ends of the drum for the passage of steam from one space to the other, said drum being rotative and having means for feeding material, and a trough in which the said drum rotates.

5. A drying apparatus involving a casing, two troughs in the casing, arranged side by side, a deflector between the head ends of the trou hs, means for delivering material onto the eflector, the latter serving to divide the material into two portions and to direct such portions into the respective troughs, stirring devices in the troughs adapted also to feed the material therealong, said troughs having outlets, and a drum to receive the materia from the troughs, said drum being provided with steam-spaces at its opposite ends, tubes connecting'the ends of the drum for the passage of steam from one space to the other, said drum being rotative and having means for feeding material, a trough in which the said drum rotates, and a screw conveyer and its casing, the latter communi ating with said deflector and having a perforated bottom.

6. A drying apparatus involving a casing, two troughs in the casing, arranged side by side, a deflector between the head ends of the troughs, means for delivering material onto the deflector, the latter serving to divide the material into two portions and to direct such portions into the respective troughs, stirring devices in the troughs adapted also to feed the material therealong, outlets, and a drum to receive the material from the troughs, said drum being provided with steam-spaces at its opposite ends, tubes connecting the ends of the drum for the passage of steamfrom one space to the other, said drum being rotative and having means for feeding material, a trough in which the said drum rotates, a screw conveyer and its casing, the latter communicating with said deflector and having a perforated bottom, and a drip-pan located under said perforated bottom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELM GRIESSER.

Witnesses:

" R. B. PETTY, J12, E. A, MoRRow.

said troughs having 

